The Great River National Wildlife Refuge headquarters is located near the small town of Annada, Missouri, only 40 miles north of the sprawling St. Louis, Missouri suburbs. The Great River staff manages four large tracts of land along the Mississippi River - the Fox Island Division, the Long Island Division, the Delair Division and the Clarence Cannon NWR.
Great River is the central refuge within the Mark Twain National Wildlife Refuge Complex, which stretches 350 miles along the Mississippi River in the states of Iowa, Illinois and Missouri. The Great River NWR manages approximately 15,000 acres spread over 100 river miles.
The management practices on these lands vary and include providing habitat for migratory birds, protecting endangered and threatened species, and enhancing wood duck habitat. Great River lies within the Mississippi Flyway, a major corridor for migratory birds.
The refuge provides several public use opportunities including hunting, fishing, hiking, photography, environmental education, and wildlife observation opportunities (not all activities are allowed on all divisions). One of visitors' favorite sights is threatened bald eagles, which successfully nest on the refuge during the summer. Eagles also frequent all divisions during the fall, winter and spring.
Bald eagle
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United States Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) is an agency of the Department of the Interior. Our mission is working with others to conserve, protect and enhance fish and wildlife and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people.
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